Personal Skills – Needlework

Welcome to the Durham Fair Needlework Department. We invite you to visit us at the Needlework building near the center of the fairgrounds to view our beautiful exhibits and experience this fantastic fair tradition.

The Durham Fair Needlework Department exhibits knitting, crocheting, quilting, sewing, cross stitch, embroidery & other needlework crafts. With over 900 individual entries, these exhibits make up one of the largest displays of needlework exhibits across country fairs nationally. We are proud of the talented crafters that exhibit their projects with us, and each year we look to expand participation with new and creative exhibitors, and even new categories. In addition to our exhibiting activities, we also hold an annual charity drive to support our community.

New for 2019

This year we’ve added a new class under each category for “New Exhibitor”. If you ever wanted to enter something in the fair and have never entered in the Needlework Department, now is the time. You will get helpful hints and guidance on how to perfect your skills.

2019 Challenge Class

This year’s challenge class theme is “100 Years of the Durham Fair”. This is an added category which allows our exhibitors to enter an additional item, as long as it ties in with the theme of the year.

2019 Community Service Projects

The Durham Fair Needlework Department has had a long tradition of supporting the community by holding a donation drive each year at the fair. This annual Community Service Project not only helps those in need but has also become a source of pride in having won an AIFE Award of Excellence for this program.

We will be collecting items for cancer patients, veterans, the homeless, and children in crisis. Make sure you check out Art Bra which supports “After the Storm” and Little Hats, Big Hearts which raises awareness of congenital heart defects sponsored by the American Heart Association.

Please consider making an item to enter in this year’s fair, or get together with friends, church groups, or community organizations and donate them. We will be collecting them and displaying them at the fair. Although an exhibitor can enter only one item per category, participants in our drive can donate as many items as they want. Be sure to fill out a form to submit with each chemo cap donation.

After the StormThe winning art bra creation will have their entry in the 2020 Art Bra Runway Show where it will be auctioned to raise money for breast cancer survivors. In addition, the winner will receive a Budvase for the Durham Fair Art Bra Award 2019.

Patterns from the Needlework Dept:

Exhibiting

Learn more about exhibiting at the Durham Fair by visiting the 2018 Exhibitor Information page. You will find a listing of categories, rules and regulations, as well as special awards available for our winners.